Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein birthday letter
Ruling ‘with prejudice’ means US president may not amend or refile his lawsuit over his alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein
TL;DR
- US judge dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal with prejudice.
- The lawsuit concerned the newspaper's reporting on an alleged birthday letter from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.
- The dismissal 'with prejudice' means the case cannot be refiled or amended.
- Judge Darrin P Gayles ruled Trump failed to establish 'actual malice,' a required standard for defamation claims by public figures.
- Trump had denied the letter was real, calling it fabricated.
- The Wall Street Journal argued its reporting met standards and was accurate.
- Rupert Murdoch was among the defendants named in the lawsuit.
- Trump had personally contacted Murdoch before the article's publication in an attempt to stop it.